The invention is directed to a method for administering subscriber data for subscribers of a communication network and is also directed to a corresponding communication network.
Communication networks, for example, are fashioned as fixed network or as mobile communication systems such as the known GSM mobile radio telephone network (Global System For Mobile Communications) and exhibit switching equipment networked with one another. In mobile radio telephone networks, respective base stations are connected to the switching equipment, communication terminal equipment being connectible with these base stations via an air interface. These communication terminal equipment referred to as mobile stations enable network access for a mobile subscriber of the communication system. Over and above this, the switching equipment effect the transition to other networks, for example data transmission networks or to a fixed network.
It is also known from the GSM mobile radio telephone network to employ memory units wherein subscriber-specific data are respectively stored for the in-network services. One of these memory units is the home register that, as central data base, is usually located at a permanently defined location and in which the subscriber data on which the registration of the subscriber are deposited, including the service data of service data [sic] respectively registered for the subscriber. Given, for example, calls for the subscriber, the memory unit is thus interrogated at the network side with respect to its subscriber data that are required for further call handling. On the basis of a subscriber self-input into the mobile station, the subscriber can select the data in his own memory unit in order, for example, to activate/deactivate the call rerouting to an announcement (in his voice mail box).
Over and above this, it is notoriously known to have services administered by service control points of a communication network, for example a fixed network, supporting the network structure of an intelligent network. The service control points are thereby respectively fashioned as independent control devices and are usually connected to a switching equipment.
German Letters Patent DE 44 17 779 C1 discloses a mobile radiotelephone system wherein, when a mobile subscriber passes from a first mobile radiotelephone area into a second mobile radiotelephone area, the subscriber is serviced with his own subscriber data by the home register arranged in the new area.
An object of the invention is to also enable access to the subscriber data of other subscribers for subscribers of a communication network that have their subscriber data respectively entered in their own memory unit.
This object is inventively achieved by the features of patent claim 1 in view of the method and by the features of patent claim 18 in view of the communication network. Advantageous developments of the invention can be derived from the subclaims.
The method and the communication network according to the subject matter of the invention for the administration of subscriber data provides that a respective interface via which the information for the control of the outside subscriber data are transmitted is respectively established between a subscriber""s own memory unit responsible for a subscriber and another memory unit.
The interface enabled between one""s own memory unit and another memory unit not only enables a communication connection to one""s own memory unit in a simple way but, proceeding therefrom, enables a communication connection to a further, central data base with outside subscriber data. Thus, for example, the information can be forwarded to the outside memory unitxe2x80x94for example, in a container message on the basis of a subscriber soft-input for a specific servicexe2x80x94, in order to select the subscriber data of the other subscriberxe2x80x94for example, to have the service data of this service registered for the other subscriber in the other subscriber""s memory unit. Such a service can, for example, be the xe2x80x9cfollow mexe2x80x9d service wherein the calls to the telephone number of the other subscriber are routed to the subscriber that had the service entered in the outside memory unit via the established, new interfacexe2x80x94preferably via an access authorization. It is thus possible to forward the information up to the outside memory unit, for example via the container message or messages. An information transmissionxe2x80x94for example, for inquiry, expansion and/or modification of service data or for synchronization of subscriber data in various memory units that were hitherto not capable of maintaining a dialog for data exchangexe2x80x94is uniformly possible for all subscriber data that can be administered in at least two central data basis.
The subject matter of the invention can thereby be applied both for memory units for the administration of mobile subscribers of a mobile radio telephone network as well as for memory units for administering subscribers according to an intelligent network structure. In this latter instance, a service vendor can place a service control point in a communication network without having to demand that other vendors make a modification of their service logic or, respectively, service data in order to be able to use this service. The direct synchronization of the subscriber data in the various service control points makes this possible. The service control points selected first initiates the dialog to the other service control points via the respective interfaces in order to match the service handling for using the service to one another in all service control points. Thus, the xe2x80x9cfollow mexe2x80x9d service cited above as an example could function via an IN platform (intelligent network) or CAMEL platform (customized application for mobile network enhanced logic) as operator-specific service without standardization outlay, functioning in a network-overlapping fashion, regardless of whether the subscriber is a mobile radio telephone network subscriber or a fixed network subscriber.
According to an advantageous development of the invention, the information for selecting the outside subscriber data are transmitted between respectively two memory units in at least one container message. The employment of the container message represents a future-proof transmission medium that packs the informationxe2x80x94unmodified or modified or exchangedxe2x80x94into the container message and subsequently sends them regardless of whether the information arrive at the memory unit according to a functional signaling protocol or as unstructured USSD data (unstructured supplementary data).
It is advantageous according to a further development of the invention that a message is received by one""s own memory unit with reference whereto it recognizes the interface via which the information are to be transmitted to the other memory unit. It is also advantageous that an access authorization for example, in the form of a passwordxe2x80x94for the access of a memory unit to the outside subscriber data is co-transmitted to another memory unit.
According to another advantageous development of the invention, information for synchronization of the subscriber data are transmitted from one""s own memory unit to the other memory unit on the interface. Preferably, the service data of a service relating to a plurality of subscribers are administered in a plurality of memory units and are synchronized with one another by the information transmitted on the respective interfaces. The automatic synchronization of the subscriber data, particularly of the service data in a preferred development of the inventive method relates to a service (mobile access hunting) wherein a call arriving in the communication network and directed to a group of subscribers is only forwarded to the subscribers who can be reached, this being identified by interrogating the subscriber data in the memory units via the respective interfaces. The advantage is comprised therein that it is no longer necessary to administer all members of the group in a single home register.
According to an especially preferred application of the invention, the subscriber selects, a service on the basis of the subscriber self-input and this is transmitted to his own memory unit, this signaling that the communication connections relating to some other subscriber are to be forwarded to him. One""s own memory unit determines in a next step that the other subscriber is registered in an outside memory unit. Subsequently, the service is registered in the outside memory unit for the other subscriber via the interface.
Preferably, the service together with an identification information for identifying the memory unit responsible for the other subscriber is transmitted from the communication terminal equipment to the communication network. In the communication network, the service together with the identification information for identifying the memory unit responsible for the other subscriber and with an identification information for identifying the subscriber effecting the subscriber self-input, is transmitted to the appertaining memory unit. This latter identification information is added by a network equipment preferably by the memory unit receiving the service first, i.e. one""s own memory unit. Advantageously, the mobile subscriber telephone number of the respective subscriber is employed as identification number.
According to a development of the invention, a switching equipment whereat a call intended for the other subscriber arrives sends a connection set up request message to the appertaining memory unit and receives an information about the registered service with an identification information for identifying the subscriber to whom the call is to be rerouted as response. The service registered in the outside memory unit for the other subscriber can thus be called and initiated in the connection setup. Following thereupon, a connection setup message to a switching equipment responsible for the identified subscribe is preferably sent on the basis of the arriving information in order to achieve the routing to the subscriber who manipulated the outside data base.